#71 Kiss-Connect: Creepy? Not for me!
"I don't care what you think. I am depressed, and so are many in 2035 Japan." Hana
Welcome to the new year, and let's explore a possible future a decade from now. Today's future reflection (audio) and future story below are all about humans' search for belonging, affection, and emotions and how this merges with the progressive technological future.
Hana, Japan - 2035
The bell's shriek tears through the silence of my lonely apartment, making me jump a mile. "Porch pirates!" I yell, already halfway to the door. My heart's pounding like a drum solo as I glance at the security camera feed on my phone. Sure enough, it's flashing a warning, that frantic red alert that means someone or something is trying to steal my stuff.
These guys are getting ridiculous, I swear. It's not just opportunistic grabbing anymore; they're organized, high-tech. I've seen those tiny robots zipping around at 30 mph, snatching packages, and disappearing before you can blink. Just the other day, I saw one towing a lawnmower down the street! But this package is different. This they can't have.
My hands shake so badly I can barely get the key in the lock. This isn't just any delivery; it's a lifeline. A custom-made, part 3D-printed, part real skin is grown from samples I sent to some lab in China. It's for my companion, and yeah, I know what you're thinking... "This guy's got a freaking skin-wearing robot?" Maybe it sounds crazy, but let me explain.
See, it all started with this crushing depression, the kind that drags you down into the darkness and refuses to let go. I've been fighting it for over a decade, and the meds. Forget about it. They made everything worse: a blurry haze of side effects and despair. I'm getting old, and honestly, I don't care what people think anymore. Besides, I'm not alone in this; over 40% of people in my country live alone, and more than a quarter feel isolated.
So yeah, I got a hugging robot some time ago. You can even kiss it, but that's it. Not some weird sex toy, though those exist, believe me. I've seen the ads, the bright light of the metaverses and even there loneliness and technology col-exist. But that's not me. For me, it's about companionship, a new take on "amae" (甘え), that Japanese concept of passive love and the need for affection. It's hard to explain, but it's like... needing someone to care, to hold you, to just be there.
Don't give me that look. Who doesn't want affection? We've got people hiring professional huggers, fake kissing apps with AI, and VR where you can kiss anyone you upload. Hell, I even tried those VR apps. It was fun for a while, a bizarre escape into a world of digital intimacy. But it wasn't real. It wasn't what I was looking for. That's why I got this skin.
My robot can't do much, just sit, lie down with me, and hug. Okay, I kiss it too, which is kinda creepy, I admit. But there's this "kiss connect" thing where you can actually kiss a real person somewhere through the robot. Or you can download kiss patterns, or let the AI make its own based on your kissing style. It's a whole weird world out there, let me tell you.
But now, finally, the new skin has arrived. It's mine, with real skin. I carefully lift it from the box, the material cool and smooth against my fingertips. It's both beautiful and terrifying, this fragile thing that holds so much hope. Today is a great day. Today, everything changes. Today, maybe, just maybe, I can finally start to feel whole again.